Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-22
Joshua Tru6's Experiment.

Joshua Tru6's Experiment.
"Uncle" Joshua True and Solomon
Baskins lived in the double house on
Cedar street. mo roof is large enough
to. cover two families I'm this case
there were children. and the tenements
were not properly separated. The
True's had to enter the Baskins' "part'
to 60 down cellar; the Baskins the
True's to 60 up stairs; one could always
gaze into the kitchen; the other did
not pause, but was sure to leave the
cellar door open, which caused hard
feelings" at times between the femi-
nine heads of the tribes. Aunt True,
who was Immediately neat. was es-
pecially tormentcd. The Baskinses
reveled in her clean paths, turned her
front steps into a mud pie bakery, and
even Baby Baskins lolled there when
his attire was most disordered.
One would conclude that they be-
lieved in having 'all things in COM
mon," but just let them see Bert True
fill his pockets with their apples! Then
the shrill cry was:
''Them's ourn-you've took 'em from
our side?'
The discussion that followed was so
personal that it had to be silenced by
the parents, who did so from principle,
for each secretly inclined to ''our side"
Uncle true: who suffered most, because
the Baskinses were most, said:
"Neighbor Baskins, children as
young as yourn has got to be
fenced off, stands to reason" adding
practically, show be they agoing to
know which is which.
cit amt all the children!' tut In
Mrs. Baskins. Your wife didn't
know which was which when she used
out O my firkin o. barberry sass all
last winters
So the landlord divided them, from
| the front gate to the double doors; from
the ''stoops" in the rear straight
through the back yard. To be sure
there was in the True's cellar an open
ing to a chimney that ran through
''the Baskins' part,'' but that seemed
then of no Importance, for it was never
used.
After the bones of contention were
equally portioned, both tribes frater-
nized over the new back yard fence.
Said Baskins with great decision:
Just let me know if any of our
young ones climb over!' Adding
''What's the good of fence if it don't
mean nothing?''
This sentiment elected from Uncle
True fervent That's so! And if
our Bert trespasses I'll be obleeged if
you'll tell me?'
The children literally '.sat upon''
! that fence for hours, coveting forbidden
places. If the Baskinses played ball it
was sure to fall upon Uncle True's
green-surely it was boys high priv
lege to scale fence!'
! At last Sabbath dawned that Uncle
True never forgot. Something-he
| thinks now was Satan himself-sud-
denly prompted him TO stay at home.
Guess won't 60 to meetin' to-day,
Pamely," he said; I'm feelin' little
slim;'' a favorite expression, although
he was very stout. ''You and Bert go
and fill up the pew"
Bert's health also had declined since
Saturday; so he demurred, and was
sternly rebuked by his father. Mrs.
True also hung back, saying she was
not myself but Uncle True persist
ed in thinking she was, and his chosen
representative.
because let up once in while it's
no reason everybody else should!'
Said Uncle True. 1--WE got to watch
the place; 'tother part'll be empty
| Mis- Baskins has taken the baby to her
mothers and the rest are goin' to
meetin' >"
It took much urging to start Uncle
True's family off without him.
"Strange can't stay to home once
without working so hard for it," he
muttered as he elongated himself up
on the sitting room lounge. "Been
bout as cheap to have shaved up and
gone, too
But even now, dispete the quiet, IN
Gle True could not rest. He went into
the yard, scarcely knowing what to do
with the, sacred hour. He walked
slowly down the little path, paused to
solemnly inspect the upsprnging
lettuce, pondered before the hennery till
| the inmates were alarmed at the unusu-
| al attention, fingered in meditation
sweet over the pigpen until the
| occupant rose from his Sabbeth nap
and approached him with an inter-
rogative grunt.
S,,I1 cS,,,othsno 1;l~o - 80. III
black cloud came between him and the
sun; Uncle True started gulltv-was
nature about to punish him for eyading
religious privileges? Then he saw
that it was s swarm of bees lowering
directly over his bald pate! Uncle True
covered it with both hands and fled to-
the house. Like living ball they hung
suspended q moment, then swept
toward the honsetop, alighting upon
that unused chimney. Uncle True
yentured out and eyed them wistfully..
by couldn' & We come week day ?''s'E
he groWled. Then could a got
Collins he's a great bee man-and
we'd put We into that empty hive. It's
q master pity it's the Sabbath; a clean
ten dollars as good as throWed away :
IS Bnt soon his face frightened. There
was the skylight he could put the hive
out q that, perhaps they would take q
motion TO il ~
~ moment later Uncle True was puff
ling npsthe xttic Stair The nerves III
his crown craylfd - he ruInen1b ered
how Sc had eei,1ssI tsD attr act the IN
sects; still ~ xolt upon